


Christmas Meeting

by Hiraeth (MoroiiAngel)



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: AU, Christmas, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5545400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoroiiAngel/pseuds/Hiraeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Nine (Chris Smith) suffers from Christmas blues and goes for a walk Christmas Eve to try and cheer himself up.  He bumps in to a certain blonde girl on the way!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hellostarlight20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellostarlight20/gifts).



> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for hellostarlight20 on tumblr. Merry Christmas! Prompts were: The Doctor being jealous of rain on Rose, “I thought I said no pets!”, and making really good sandwiches. I hope this is even a little bit in the ballpark! Also worth noting I went with the idea that, because Pete’s World Jackie had a terrier named Rose, in this universe they have a Terrier named Tony (after her brother). Also, Christopher Eccleston is from Langworthy, so that’s where that detail comes from. This is unbetaed. HelloStarlight20, if you see anything you’d like changed, let me know!

It was Christmas Eve in London. Lights were strung about lamp posts, carols leaked out of doors and far away speakers, occasionally audible from passing cars. The people who were about town seemed cheery, for the most part. Chris had left his tiny rented flat to go on a walkabout, hoping that being out of doors would improve his spirits. This time of year had once been his favourite, but lately he was having trouble getting into the spirit of things. Without agenda or motive he had wandered about downtown, weaving in and out of shops, pausing to look at decorated displays. He stared at Christmas Trees, hoping they would inspire some cheer in him.

They didn’t.

He wondered, maybe, if part of the reason he was not feeling the spirit of the season was the snow. There wasn’t any. It was a miserable day without it, just warm enough that snow was out of the question, but overcast and gloomy. Rain would be coming, that was certain. That wasn’t terribly unusual for downtown London, but he was from Langworthy originally, and they tended to have at least a little snow on the ground come Christmas Eve. He wondered, looking up at the cloudy sky, whether they had any this year. He knew he could check on his phone. The idea of looking up anything about Langworthy put such a scowl on his face, however, that he quickly changed his mind. Thoughts of home, and how there wasn’t one left for him there anymore, tended to put a damper on cheer. That, and that he hadn’t anyone to share the time with. Even today he’d barely spoken a few words to people he passed in stores and on streets. He supposed he looked grumpy.

In the early evening Chris’ flat started calling to him. Through the day he had been slowly meandering away from the river and now found himself at Burgess Park. So he had managed to get himself a good hour walk away from home, and the sky looked forbidding. The thing to do was take the tube back to Soho; it would cut his time in half. He was walking towards the nearest station when he was struck from behind.

It wasn’t at all a hard hit, but it made him jump out of his skin, dark memories flitting through his head. He spun around, fight winning out over flight, ready to go after his attacker with everything he had. No one was behind him. He turned his head left and right, and then was bumped a second time, this time on his hip. Alarmed, he looked downwards, his face hard. 

It was a dog. His face immediately softened. It wasn’t even a big dog - a little terrier, who hopped up at him a third time, making a grab at his coat. 

“Hullo there,” Chris told the dog. “Where’ve you come from, then?” He knelt down, reaching for the little thing. It wasn’t the least bit scared of him, and began sniffing his outstretched fingers. It did not have a collar on. Chris looked up the street, wondering if there was anyone about. At the entrance to the park he saw a blonde girl. Her head was whipping back and forth, her whole body tense. She was a block away, but Chris was fairly certain he could see a leash dangling from her hand.

“Tony!” Her voice drifted up the street, and the dog’s ears pricked up. Chris raised his eyebrow at the dog. 

“That you?” It didn’t have a response to this, so Chris tried a different tack. “Tony?”

The little dog’s tail became a force that made his entire back half wiggle back and forth. Chris let out an amused noise, and stood back up. “Alright then, Tony. Let’s get you back to your owner, hmm?” He strode off down the street, and the dog came after him, making another few attempts to get at Chris’ coat.

When he was about 10 meters away he greeted the panicked girl (who, from closer up, he could tell was a bit older than girlhood). “Hullo!” He chirruped, all false cheer. Best way to get people to help you quickly, and then he could get back home to mope in private. 

The blonde girl’s head whipped towards him, expression distraught - until she spotted the pup. “Oh, Tony!” Her eyes brightened and Chris was fairly certain he felt her smile hit him in the gut. She ran to meet them. “Thanks, don’t know how he got out of his lead,” she said, waving it at him and then making a grab for the little dog. It deftly dodged her, and made another leap up at Chris. For his part, he was stood frozen, staring at this girl. She was bent over and suddenly very close. And she was absolutely gorgeous. 

“Wha- Tony!” She made another swipe, reaching around Chris’ knees, but it ran to the other side of him. Chris was beginning to feel like the proverbial mulberry bush, though he didn’t much mind it. He would never say so out loud, but he was perfectly content to just watch her try and catch Tony, who didn’t seem to want to leave Chris’ side.

“’M sorry,” the girl said, looking up at him from her half-bent position. There was a brief hesitation, and they both seemed to realize the position she was in at the same time. Chris leapt back from her and she shot into a standing pose, a blush bursting out across her cheek bones. Chris was prepared to be mortified but although she was blushing, she wasn’t frowning. It gave her a glow that made Chris’ heart beat a little faster. This was wholly unlike him. He hadn’t had eyes for anyone in ages. Not since he went off to fight. As he studied her face, her eyes were drawn down to the dog, who had followed Chris. It seemed desperate for attention. He relented, bending down to it.

“He’s friendly,” he commented, patting it on the head. Tony, for his part, was not paying attention to the pats. His tail was still going, but it was his nose that was really moving. He was sniffing around as though he was a born blood hound. “He always this nosy?” Chris looked up at Tony’s owner, who was studying him with a curious gaze. 

“Not really. Although,” she said, bringing a thumb nail up to her lip to chew on thoughtfully. “D’you got anything to eat in your pocket?” Chris raised an eyebrow, and she explained. “Terriers, s’what Tony is, they pick up on scents and follow them anywhere. It’s not the first time he’s done a runner,” she admitted. “But it’s been a long time since he did it last.” 

Chris put his hand in the pocket of his leather coat, having to gently push Tony out of the way to get into it. Inside was a wax wrapped sandwich that he’d forgotten all about. Tony gave a demanding little bark as soon as he saw it.

“No!” She scolded him, and finally was able to scoop him up into her arms. She reattached his lead and harness (which Tony had slipped out of, apparently) as she admonished the dog. “Can’t just go tearing across London after stranger’s lunches! I’m Rose, by the way. Rose Tyler.” she artlessly dropped into the conversation. 

As if by rote, Chris replied. “Doctor Christopher Smith.” It was a habit, having to report his full name aloud. “I’d forgotten I even had the sandwich.” He was looking down at it when he sensed a change in air pressure, smelling something with his roman shaped nose. He shifted his gaze to the sky. “Should get inside. It’ll rain any second now.”

“D’you think?” Rose asked. Then, as if it was planned, a big drop landed on her nose. Chris completely failed to suppress a smile. 

“Doctor Smith who predicts the weather,” she said, teasing. “You think you’re so impressive.”

Chris found himself smiling back. “I am so impressive.” Drops were coming faster; he tucked the sandwich back in his pocket. “And it’s just Chris.” In a matter of seconds the rain was coming down in sheets, the three of them becoming swiftly soaked. Rose let out a yelp, hard to hear over the roar of the rain, and Chris broke into action, looking for hiding spots. There was an overhanging shelter space just inside the park, and he reached out a hand to usher her in that direction. Completely unexpectedly, Rose took his hand in hers. 

He stared down at it, then briefly glanced at her. Something about her hand in his felt very right, but they were getting soaked and there was no time to dwell on it now. “Run!” He crowed, bolting towards the shelter. Rose was holding him with one hand and Tony in the other, and was laughing as they ran towards the space. About half way there, Chris realized he’d been smiling. He’d spent all day trying to find something to smile about but it wasn’t until he was caught in the rain with Rose Tyler that he’d managed it.

They made it underneath the shelter, and Tony was dropped to the ground. He shook the rain off himself, managing to get more on Rose and Chris, who gave out little noises of protest with smiles on their faces. 

“Some Christmas,” Rose said, wiping water from her eyes while carefully avoiding her mascara. “God but it’s freezing though!” She smiled over at Chris despite her words, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth. He smiled back.

“S’posed to be cold at Christmas.”

“Not supposed to rain, though!”

“Least we have provisions,” he joked, taking the sandwich back out. He hesitated, before holding it out. “Hungry?”

She looked at it, and then nodded. “S’long as you’re offering, I’m famished.” He unwrapped it, and offered her half. She took it and bit into it. 

“Oh, that’s brilliant, that is.” The terrier put his paws up on her wet jeans, making a bit of a whine. She pretended to be ignorant of his intentions. “Poor Tony, all wet!” She knelt down to dote on her dog, giving Chris another opportunity to look at her. Her hair was dripping little droplets that landed on the pavement and her shoulders.

He followed one particular drop with his eyes, watching as it landed on her collar bone and slid downwards. It rolled down her chest, and very likely had no idea of the very great honour it was receiving by simply being on Rose Tyler’s chest, let alone being allowed to slide down and around like that, to disappear where he could no longer see it. He wished he could follow it. Part of him considered that the rather short lifespan of a drop of water would certainly be worth it if you were allowed to wander about Rose.

Hang on, was he wishing he were a raindrop?

He was in very, very deep trouble.


End file.
